This invention relates generally to the field of vehicle accessories, and more particularly to automotive side bars for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles.
The present invention relates in general to vehicle side bars for sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, jeeps and similar vehicles.
A vehicle side bar is an accessory which has gained considerable popularity in recent years. In essence, it is a wide tubular bar which is attached to the side of a vehicle just below the passenger cab. It usually covers the length of the cab and projects laterally to the outside of the cab side or door surface. It is usually bolted or welded to the main longitudinal frame beam of the vehicle chassis.
The side bar is both an appearance accessory and provides some protection for door and side of the vehicle cab to deflect debris.
Many vehicles of earlier date had running boards along the side of the vehicle to provide a stable platform to stand on and assist in entry and exit from the vehicle. More recently, side bars have been manufactured and sold, primarily by small and large automotive accessory companies. Side bars, while primarily a styling accessory, have been modified to provide a step built into the side bar to assist in entry of and exit from the vehicle. The side bar system of the present invention, in contrast with side bars with a step built into the bar, provides a step assembly independent of the side bar providing a stable step closer to the ground.
Running boards were at one time a standard feature on most passenger vehicles, including light duty trucks such as pickup trucks. The running board provided an intermediate step that was an aid in entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
As vehicle designs changed, the bodies of the vehicles were lowered and the running disappeared from the design of the vehicle. The body of the vehicles, in addition to being lowered was widened to provide more space in the passenger compartment. This design concept of eliminating running boards carried over to other vehicles that were not lowered in design, such as four wheel drive pickups and sport utility vehicles.
Four wheel drive vehicles are intentionally designed with a relatively high road clearance, that is the frame and body is supported at a relatively high distance from the ground. This is a desired characteristic, since the user of the vehicles wants the maximum clearance for traversing adverse road conditions such as deep snow, muddy and rutted roads and the like. Additionally four wheel drive vehicles are often driven off improved roadways where all types of conditions are likely to be encountered.
One of the problems with a high clearance vehicle is the height of the entry into the passenger compartment. The floor of the passenger cab is of necessity high above the ground and for many individuals, the required “step” is too high to permit easy entry.
Side bars such as those similar to and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,638 provide a step on the side bar itself. This step is many times still too high off the ground to permit easy entry into the vehicle. Aesthetically, a step built into the side bar also visually disrupts the clean line and streamlined appearance of the bar.